Improvement in railway-ties



W. E. GURTISS;

- Railway-Tie.

No. 207,719. Patented Sept 3, 1878,

WITNESSES Hd (7]Za/Wd ATTORNEY- NFETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON.D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT CFFIGE WINTHROP E. OURTISS, OF HOPPENVILLE,PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEM ENT IN RAILWAY-Tl ES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 207,719, datedSeptemberB, 1878 application filed May 18, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WnvTHRoP E. OURTIss, of Hoppenville, in the countyof Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented'a new andvaluable Improvement in VVrought- Iron Railroad-Sleepers; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescriptionof the construction and operation of the same, reference being had tothe annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top view of my improved railroad-tie. Fig.2 is a longitudinal central section of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of the tie, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the brace.

This invention has for its object the improvement of metal ties orsleepers for railroadrails.

The nature of the invention consists in a wrought-iron tie or sleeperhaving diverging sides, and braced against spreading when in use byametal brace riveted or bolted to the under side of the tie, the contourof the said brace being the same as that of the sleeper, as will behereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawings, the letter A designates my improved sheetmetaltie, the same being of a length proportionate to the gage of the road,and of a thickness proportionate to the weight of the rolling-stock.This tie has a flat upper part, (I, from which diverge two sides, I),and is formed out of sheet metal by rolling, forging, or otherwise. Thesides b are braced to each other and to the top by means of the metallicbraces 13, which latter are of the same general shape as the tie, andare riveted to its sides and top directly under the rail-seat on saidtie. The sides of the tie are thus prevented from spreading when understrain. At each side of the rail-seat on the tie is formed an oblongslot, 0, up which extends from below a headed screw-threaded bolt, d.The projecting end of each of these bolts extends through a metallicclamp, D, the jaw of which is shaped to conform to the contour of theflange of the rail, and is provided with a nut, c, which, being set upforcibly, causes the said clamps to bind, when adjusted, upon thebase-flange of the rail, and efiectually se cures it to the tie. Shouldone of these bolts, whose heads 1 are longer than they are Wide, and ofslightly less width than the slots 0, be broken, it may be removed andreplaced by turning the bolt until the length of the head is in thelength of the said slot, and then pulling it up vertically, when itshead will pass through the slot-this without disturbing the tie. Byplacing the new bolt with its head in the slot, then forcing it throughthe same and turning it at right angles to its former position, it islocked to the tie and cannot be withdrawn therefrom. The tie, when setin position, causes the earth to be wedged into the space between thediverging sides and to become very closely packed therein. It thus has avery firm foundation, and practically cannot sink beyond the position atwhich it is originally set.

I am aware that it is not new to make a hollow metallic sleeper withflaring sides and slotted bolt-holes to admit the b01t-cla1nps,

which are adjustable by interchange of the clamps, having projections ofdifferent lengths made for that purpose, and therefore I do not claimsuch invention.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1.The wrought metal tie A, having the flaring sides I) and a brace of thesame contour as the tie, and riveted to its under side, under the seatof the rail on said tie, substantially as specified.

2. The angular metallic tie A, having the angular transverse re-enforceB below the railseat portion, and on each side of the same the oblongslots 0 0 through the tie for the passage of the clamp-bolts,substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed myname inthe presence of two witnesses.

WVINTHROP EZRA CURTISS.

Vitnesses:

AARON K. STAUFFER, PETER McOoLLUM.

